Falcons can create $20 million of new cap space with these moves

With Raheem Morris in the fold, the Falcons’ coaching staff is almost set as the club moves toward free agency and the draft.

Though there are a slew of positional needs for Terry Fontenot to address this offseason, none are more important than the quarterback position. Edge defenders, wide receivers, cornerbacks, and trench players are all necessary, but the signal caller is the most important.

Fontenot will have the 8th overall pick, along with an arsenal of other draft selections, to bolster the roster’s future. Moreover, he’ll have around $25 million in cap space to work with, according to Spotrac.

It’s a far cry from where the Falcons sat this time last year when they held the second most cap space in the league, which resulted in a spending spree that landed Jessie Bates, Kaden Elliss, David Onyemata, Calais Campbell, and more.

However, the roster is in a much better place today than it was last year. There’s no need for a complete overhaul, but there’s still work to do, and Fontenot has the means to make this roster much better in 2024. In fact, the Falcons can create nearly $20 million more in cap space with just a few moves.

The Falcons have a new coaching staff, even if there are some holdovers. Jimmy Lake and Zac Robinson will implement their own schemes, and even if they are similar to Ryan Nielsen and Arthur Smith’s respective systems, there will be minor differences, which means personnel turnover.

The club will be in the market for a new quarterback and potentially two. If the Falcons sign a stopgap free agent like Russell Wilson and draft a potential franchise quarterback like J.J. McCarthy, Taylor Heinicke becomes expendable, which would save the Falcons $6.5 million.

Moreover, if Zac Robinson’s tendencies mimic that of his mentor in Sean McVay, the Falcons will be using a lot of 11 personnel — three receivers, one tight end and one running back. With Kyle Pitts as the obvious TE1, Jonnu Smith becomes expendable and would save Atlanta $6.5 million against the cap.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Falcons could stand to upgrade over Lorenzo Carter and Mike Hughes, saving the Falcons nearly $7 million combined. Altogether, Fontenot would add nearly $20 million, giving the Falcons around $45 million for free agency and a potential A.J. Terrell contract.

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Photographer: Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire